


Like Snow

by BeesBeanie



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sad old men, but they love each other - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21910453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeesBeanie/pseuds/BeesBeanie
Summary: "There was nothing quite like stark purity of fresh snowfall to really bring out the vibrancy of blood."Soldier 76 finds someone unexpected on the Nepali mountainside. He's not exactly happy about it.Prompt: "hurt/comfort"
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52
Collections: Reaper76 Free For All Secret Santa 2019





	Like Snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarshyoftheBlobs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarshyoftheBlobs/gifts).



There was nothing quite like stark purity of fresh snowfall to really bring out the vibrancy of blood.

Soldier 76 stared at the inky splotches that dipped into the snow. He glanced up and around, his visor scanning the white hills through the frosty wind. The trail continued ahead of him, up and around a snowbank. Soldier considered his options.

Winter was settled deep into the mountains of Nepal. Soldier’s journey had taken him to seek out the Shambali monks who lived high up in this range.

He had some questions that needed answered.

This trail of blood, however, was a detour he didn’t need.

Night was fast approaching behind the shield of clouds overhead, and soon enough it would be too dangerous to stay out without shelter. Stopping to investigate a blood trail—of what was most likely some animal’s recent kill—was a waste of time he didn’t have.

Unfortunately, Jack never did know how to keep to his own business.

Adjusting his pack on his shoulders, Soldier stepped off the marked path, following the crimson trail over the hill.

Long minutes passed, the light of day slowly leaking out of the sky as Soldier trudged through the snowfall. Something about this whole scenario was off-putting, and he was not one to ignore his instincts.

When he finally came over the last slope, he found his answer.

Nestled into a shallow valley of sharp natural stone lay a broken and smoldering hovercraft, nearly cleaved in two. The craft was covered in a layer of snow, betraying how long it had been there and why Soldier hadn’t seen or heard its descent.

The craft wasn’t like any he had seen; all black and completely unmarked. Scanning the scene with his visor came up with very information. His only choice was to investigate up close if he wanted answers.

He doubted there were any survivors.

Carefully, he made his way down into the cradle of the valley. His footfalls crunched loudly underfoot and he couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t supposed to be there.

Pulling out his pistol, Soldier approached the bulk of the wreckage, scanning where it looked like craft had been split open. His visor continued to provide information as he stepped into the craft, alerting him to high carbon dioxide and scanning for familiar heat signatures.

Nothing yet.

The ship was not very large, easily divided into three separate sections; a cockpit, the main fuselage, and a cargo hold. The seats in the sides of the plane were all empty, some of the security bars pried open, likely from impact.

Blood dotted the space like an unholy constellation.

It was rapidly becoming apparent that this was not some freak accident.

Soldier checked the safety on his pistol and proceeded into the cargo hold.

The door was littered with bullet holes, crunched in on one side, and barely holding onto its hinges. Jack tested it out and found it moved just enough for him to squeeze through.

Crates filled the space, some knocked over, some still held secure with tie-down straps. Soldier walked over to one of them and peered inside the open case.

Behind him, someone coughed.

Soldier spun around, gun held at the ready, visor scanning rapidly. He crept towards the source of the noise, cautious to see if they were friend or foe.

His breath caught in his throat.

Lying amongst the rubble, seated strangely like a throne, was Reaper. The masked terrorist was propped up against one destroyed crate like he had landed there from impact and never moved.

Soldier kept his distance, carefully aiming his pistol at the prone figure. His visor wasn’t showing any normal, human heat signature. That was concerning.

He took a cautious step forward, pulse thundering as he came face-to-face with his most annoying adversary at his lowest. The man looked like shit. Dark wisps of… something leaked out from the sides of his mask in the same beat as breath.

“Hello… Jack.”

Soldier tensed, gripping his weapon tighter as the voice spoke.

“How do you—”

“I really hope… You’re not wasting precious air… By asking me… How I know your name.” Reaper breathed; the heave of his lungs obvious under his blood-stained armor. He turned his head to look at Soldier straight on.

His mask was shattered on one side.

Soldier choked on his next breath.

“Gabriel?”

The rasp of his voice felt far too loud even under the hiss of the wind outside.

Gabriel Reyes, commander of Blackwatch, previous Strike Commander and savior of the Omnic War, was alive. Somewhat. The right side of his face was visible, revealing ashen skin that looked sallow and taut over his sharp cheekbones. His hair was a silvery gray, longer than when he’d last seen it and coated in dust and grime.

What concerned him the most were those eyes. Gone were the old deep browns he had known, replaced with a blood-shot red iris, the sclera bleeding inky blackness.

Reaper laughed, raspy and deep with a grin too feral to be friendly. “Hey boy scout. Miss me?”

Beneath his visor, Soldier clenched his jaw hard. “What the absolute fuck makes you think that I would miss you now? Knowing what you’ve done?” He shook his head, trying to steady the rush in his brain of connecting a thousand little dots. “I want to ask you what the hell you were thinking, but I have a feeling I’m really not going to like the answer.”

Reaper seemed to think for a moment before giving an aborted shrug. “Yeah. Fair.”

They both stared at each other for long moments, Soldier trying to control his heaving breaths and Reaper seeming to wait for him to come to some sort of decision.

After several tense moments, Soldier seemed to deflate, lowering his gun to his side. He stared at Reaper hard for a second before gesturing widely around him. “You gonna tell me what the hell happened here?”

“Would you believe what I say?”

“I could just make my own assumptions,” Soldier countered, impatient. “But since I’ve got time…”

That startled a laugh out of Reaper. Unfortunately, it quickly turned into a thick, inky cough.

Solider advanced on him. “What the hell happened to you, Gabriel?”

“Oh Jack,” Reaper sighed, lifting a clawed hand to touch at the side of Jack’s visor. “That’s a tale I don’t have time for…”

The hand slowly fell, Reapers eyes slid shut, and a puff of black escaped his lips in a sigh. Soldier felt a sick, clenching panic grip him hard and fast before he realized Reaper was still breathing. Barely.

Soldier stood over Reaper’s prone body, suddenly left with a choice. He could leave him here. Let him waste away on a Nepali mountainside, lost to the snow and wreckage. He would never be a thorn in his or the new Overwatch’s side again.

On the other hand…

Jack wanted some answers and he’d be damned if he didn’t get them.

=x=x=x=

The trek up the mountainside was a lot more treacherous when carrying an unconscious body. Jack had adjusted his pack so it was snug to his front, leaving his back free to carry the dark mass of his old friend.

He could already spot the small village that led up to the monastery where it sat high on the mountainside. He estimated another hour of walking would take him there.

The man on his back groaned.

“You have a lot of explaining to do,” Jack groused to the unconscious man. “How many years of my life have I wasted hunting you? Too fucking many if you ask me.”

Jack trudged on, his feet finding purchase on wooden steps through the snow.

“You fucking died,” he growled.

 _I buried you,_ he didn’t say.

He paused to readjust Gabriel’s form over his shoulders, grimacing at the thin trail of blood that dripped down from his clawed fingers. The black of his outfit fluttered around them as he walked.

“You always did love your costumes…”

He tried not to think of the blood.

The sky had turned dark by the time he reached the village. A few locals and several omnics passed him on the trails, many bundled for the cold and eyeing him wearily. Jack did his best to keep his eyes open and focused, he didn’t have time to stop and chat.

“Soldier 76. What a surprise to see you here, of all places.”

Jack startled slightly and braced himself. His arms were too full to draw his weapons and the thought made him twitchy. He turned.

Genji Shimada stood, leaning against the side of a shop, as casually as if he were out for a midday stroll. He looked different than Jack remembered, less wires and red eyes and more chrome and sleek lighting. He, too, was covered in a thick parka and soft pants, cinched just below the knees.

“Shimada?”

“I would say ‘in the flesh’, but we both know that only goes so far.”

That sense of humor was new.

Jack stayed silent.

Genji nodded his head toward the body slumped over his back. “Any particular reason you have a known terrorist unconscious and bleeding on your shoulders?”

Honestly, who knew. “He owes me money.”

That startled a laugh out of the cyborg; a sound Jack would admit he’d never heard before.

“Come,” Genji pushed off of the building, picking up his own bag and sliding it over his head. “I will take you to the monastery. You both will be able to rest there and… finish whatever business you have.”

Jack grunted his thanks and followed, ignoring the grumbling murmurs at the base of his neck.

Genji glanced over his shoulder, his face plate unreadable as he studied the soldier. “It’s good to see you again, commander.”

So much for an alias.

They were mostly quiet for the walk, with the exception of Genji offering to carry Jack’s pack, which he begrudgingly accepted.

The Shambali omnics were all welcoming, surprisingly so. Gabriel was quickly whisked away as they approached, taken into a separate area while omnics scanned and prodded him. Jack was led through a large courtyard and into humble lodgings, luckily equipped with sturdy walls and a fire place. The omnic who led him there lit it swiftly before turning to Jack.

“You are welcome to stay as long as you need, friend,” the omnic intoned, mellow and soothing. “Your companion is resting across the walkway.”

“Thanks,” Jack sighed, finally taking off his visor. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the lighting, the markings on the omnic gently illuminating the small space.

The omnic nodded and paused. “He is not well, your companion.”

Jack closed his eyes. “I’m not even sure he’s the same man I once knew.”

The omnic tilted its head, considering. “A conundrum was once proposed,” it started, “That if the pieces of a ship were replaced, board by board, in its entirety, would it still be the same vessel?” It turned to gaze out of the simple window, gazing into the snowy landscape. “Perhaps it is not pieces that make up vessel, or omnic, or man, but the essence within that define its true self.”

“Greater than the sum of our parts?” Jack chimed in.

The omnic nodded. “Perhaps so. Though we must not discount those parts, I think. Every scar and scrape and frayed edge has helped to mold us through time.”

Jack blinked, knowing his own scars—slashes across his face and eyes—had truly marked a moment of change for him. “So, you think it’s likely, then… That he’s a completely different man.”

The omnic tilted its head in what could have been an amusement. “Are you not as well?”

Without waiting for an answer, the omnic offered a short bow and gently shut the door behind it, leaving Jack alone with just his thoughts and the sound of a crackling hearth.

Barely wasting the energy to remove his boots, Jack folded himself down onto the simple bed, allowing the calm darkness of sleep to take him.

=x=x=x=

“His surface wounds have been tended to.” The omnic from the day before stood at the foot of Reaper’s—Gabriel’s—bed. The man seemed to be sound asleep, bared of his Kevlar and leather and dressed in a simple black tunic and pants.

Jack stared down at him, eyes watching the slow and steady rise of his chest.

The omnic turned to look at him, assessing. “Stay as long as you like. I imagine you will have plenty to discuss when he is ready to do so.”

“Yeah…” Jack nodded. Yeah.”

With a brief bow, the omnic took its leave, and Jack was once again alone with Gabriel.

Jack pulled up a wooden chair with a thin pillow and plopped himself down, elbows resting hard on his knees.

“I’m still pissed at you, you know.” Jack grumbled.

“I know…”

Jack startled, nearly knocking himself off the chair. Gabriel watched him with narrow eyes and a devilish little smirk, obviously amused. They stared at each other for a long moment.

Jack scanned Gabriel’s features. He’d certainly gotten older, but then again, he wasn’t one to talk. His hair had grown out since his buzz-cut days, replaced with something more reminiscent of his younger days in SEP, now streaked with rivers of gray and silver. His beard was styled just the same as it had always been, and something about that seemed to loosen some hidden tension in Jack’s shoulders.

The eyes were new, though.

“What’s with your eyes?”

Gabriel beat him to it.

“Went bad after Switzerland,” Jack offered, intentionally vague. “Yours?”

He gave a shrug from where he was laying. “You remember O’Deorain?” At Jack’s nod he continued, detailing how she had fooled him. She had fooled them all, really. The experiments had destroyed his body and replaced too much of it with technology he could barely understand let alone control. It had made him a better soldier, but the cost had been high.

“That was back in Blackwatch,” Jack murmured, disbelieving.

Gabriel nodded, groaning softly. “Yeah…”

The question sat heavy in the air between them: _How did I never know?_

“My eyes,” Gabriel went on, steadfastly ignoring the tension in the air. “They turn black like this when the nanites are functioning more than my human body is. They’re probably going haywire to fix themselves back together.”

Jack nodded. Nanotechnology wasn’t a complete mystery to him, but he could hardly claim to understand all of its inner workings. Gabriel’s eyes were still completely black, with only the bright red irises staring back at him.

There was so much more Jack wanted to know. Why was Gabriel with Talon? Where had he gone after the explosion? Jack hadn’t been lying when he said he’d buried him, or at least, he thought it had been Gabriel he’d buried.

He had certainly mourned for Gabriel enough over the years.

He sat there, lost deep into his thoughts when he heard the faint scratch of the bedsheets move. Jack glanced up. Gabriel had his hand scooted all the way towards him, palm resting up, blackened fingertips and claw-like nails resting open and innocent.

“I missed you, Jack.”

Fuck.

Jack clenched his jaw against the wave of emotion that threatened to overtake him. He squeezed his hands together hard, trying to resist the urge to reach out right away; to touch the man he had also missed. So much. So much it hurt and it took years to get over the first time.

Now the wound was fresh and festering and Jack wasn’t sure he could go through this again.

“Jack…”

“I mourned you, Gabe.”

The sentence shot out like an accusation. Perhaps it was.

“I mourned you for… years.” Jack continued, trying desperately to control his breathing. “It wasn’t like when we lost Ana. I remember seeing that look on your face, right before the explosion. It’s burned into my eyes. Even now it’s crystal fucking clear. And then it turns our you’re alive.” Jack breathed out hard through his nose. “You’ve been alive all this time while I’ve been desperately trying to kill you.”

The silence hung heavier this time, thick with accusation and betrayal.

Gabriel was watching Jack’s face, taking in every detail, every strained breath.

“Most days…” Gabriel started, quiet and halting, not anything like the snarky man he knew. “Most days I think I died that day, too.”

And there was too much in that sentence for Jack to handle. He nodded and stood, taking carefully measured steps to the door and paused only when his fingers wrapped tight around the handle. There was nothing for him to say. He stepped through the door and let it shut firmly behind him.

=x=x=x=

“You mentioned that you happened to find Commander Reyes on your journey to the monastery,” the omnic—Zenyatta, Jack had learned—intoned lightly. “I cannot help but wonder what brought you to seek us out before you found him.”

“I wanted to know more about your teachings,” Jack explained, sipping lightly at an offered cup of tea. “I was curious about what you refer to as The Iris. Maybe there’s something there that could help me connect a few dots.”

Zenyatta seemed to hum softly as it considered. “And now?”

Jack paused. If he were being truly honest with himself, he hadn’t spared the monastery much of a second thought since finding Gabriel. His mind was spinning in circles around this new mystery and to have found Gabriel again after all this time…

“Commander Reyes was quite close with a student of mine,” Zenyatta offered, gently interrupting Jack’s thoughts.

It took him a moment to figure out exactly who Zenyatta was referring to. “Shimada?”

The omnic nodded. “Genji has been a pupil of mine for a number of years now, though he has also taught me much.” Zenyatta paused. “When my student had discovered who exactly it was you had brought up to the temple, he was quite distressed.”

Jack nodded. He could relate to that.

“Perhaps you two should speak.” Zenyatta added, turning to look up towards the rafters above them. “What do you think, my student?”

Jack had all of a second to be confused before the green ninja dropped down right next to him, eerily silent. Genji quickly removed his face plate, setting down on the small table between them and huffed. “I am… very pissed at Reyes right now.”

For the first time in years Jack felt a laugh bubble up inside him.

“Get in line, kid.”

=x=x=x=

Jack lay in bed that night, feeling refreshed from his conversation-slash-vent session with Genji. He was glad the young man had been able to find peace in these last many years. He’d had enough hardship.

It was obvious that Zenyatta’s teachings had been helpful. Just a handful of conversations with the omnic had already given Jack a new clarity.

He only had one last issue to confront.

A knock against his door startled him. Jack stared at the door for a moment, unsure if someone was actually outside. For a few long moments there was nothing, and then Jack’s eyes started playing tricks on him. A dark shadow emerged from the bottom of the door, swirling around for a moment against he black of the wall behind it.

Jack watched it with interest, not moving from where he lay on the bed.

The mass swirled in the air before coalescing, settling into the all-too familiar shape of Gabriel Reyes. Jack would have been more startled if he hadn’t been so familiar with Reaper’s abilities before.

Gabriel walked up to the side of the bed, staring down at Jack with an unreadable expression.

“Well,” Jack said, trying to sound steadier than he was. “You coming in or what?”

Gabriel never needed to be told twice. He climbed onto the bed, settling himself half-way onto Jack’s form and curling around him. Jack grabbed at one of the woolen blankets and pulled it up around their shoulders. Gabriel’s hands curled around him, the light pressure of his sharp claws muted against his bedclothes.

“Hey,” Gabriel whispered.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to kick your ass.” Jack mumbled.

Gabriel squeezed at him, his beard rubbing against Jack’s chest. “I need you to know that I don’t regret a lot in my life. I’ve done a lot of messed up shit. I’ve ruined good agents, good people. I’ve destroyed lives that didn’t deserve it.” He sighed, body tense under the cloak of darkness. “I justified it all as a means to an end. If I wanted to keep certain people safe, if I wanted to ruin the greater evil, then it would be worth it.”

Jack remained silent, churning the words over in his head.

“I don’t know how much of that I believe anymore…”

Jack turned his head towards Gabriel, barely able to see his silhouette in the dark of the room. “Are you going to go back to Talon?”

There was a long pause before Gabriel finally sighed. “No. Reaper is dead.”

That got Jack’s attention. “What?”

“That crash was meant to kill me. It was entirely planned.” Gabriel said, voice deceptively even. “I knew Akande was planning to off me. He was beginning to suspect I wasn’t entirely invested in his plans. I’m surprised it took him this long, I’ve been double-crossing him for years.”

“You knew about it and you still went on that ship?” Jack could hear his voice getting more strained. “You just waltzed off to your death?”

“Jack,” Gabriel’s voice stopped him. “I was so… so tired.”

It shattered Jack’s heart.

He gripped at Gabriel hard under the covers, pulling him close, grip hard enough to bruise. “I’m never letting you out of my sight, you hear me? Son of a bitch… How dare you. I should be completely pissed off at you. Scratch that, I am. Again.”

Gabriel gave a tired chuckle. “Sorry.”

“Shut up.”

Gabriel hummed.

“You were the best damn thing to happen to me,” Jack growled. “If we’re going back out into that shit-hole world, we’re going back together. No more secrets, no more bull. You hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“God, you irritate the shit out of me,” Jack chuckled, wryly fond and still simmering. “Remind me why I love you.”

Gabriel stilled, holding his breath before letting it out in a long, winded breath. “I wish I knew.”

Jack reached up and began running his fingers through Gabriel’s hair, appreciating the length and feel of it, even if it did end in smokey wisps he couldn’t understand. “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. After we get some sleep, and definitely after I kick your ass.”

Gabriel laughed, strained but honest against him. He sighed, burrowing into Jack’s side and falling into the depths of sleep. “I love you, too, Goldie.”

He didn’t bother with a response. Jack continued to run his hands over Gabriel’s hair, reveling in the feel of it. They weren’t okay, not really. But Jack was convinced that they were always better together than they were apart. He’d bet his life on it.

Outside the window, snow began to fall. White, crisp, pure. For a moment, the world was still and quiet. The sun would rise, and with it, like the snow, a fresh start.

=x END x=

**Author's Note:**

> Wooo done in the nick of time ^^;;
> 
> This ended up being shorter and more rushed than i wanted, ((life really got in the way)) but i was determined to finish this!! I'm gonna go back and rehash some of this later, but here it is!! 
> 
> Thanks for the prompt and I hope you enjoyed~ ^^/


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